| Magpie Mannikin | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Estrildidae |
| Genus: | Lonchura |
| Species: | L. fringilloides |
| Binomial name | |
| Lonchura fringilloides (Lafresnaye, 1835) |
|
The Magpie Mannikin or Magpie Munia Lonchura fringilloides is a species of estrildid finch found in southern and central Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 1,400,000 km².
It is found in subtropical/ tropical (lowland) moist shrubland, forest and dry grassland habitat. The status of the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Origin and phylogeny has been obtained by Antonio Arnaiz-Villena et al.[1] Estrildinae may have originated in India and dispersed thereafter (towards Africa and Pacific Ocean habitats).